Let It Out
by Romantic Medievalist
Summary: Post-Breaking Dawn AU. Two years have passed by since the almost-battle with the Volturi, and it's time for the Cullen family to move on. What happens when a statement, though innocently spoken, unknowingly causes a painful memory of Bella's to resurface? How will Bella react? Will the family make it through unscathed?


Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. Not Edward, nor Jasper, nor Emmett,...you can see where this is going. *sighs sadly*

This is my first Fanfiction story, so please be kind and review! And a huge thank you to one of my besties, ElenaGilbertWarriorQueen, for pre-reading this for me! *mwah*

Two years had passed by since the almost-battle with the Volturi, and as much as no one wanted to, it was time to move on.

Renesmee was utterly heartbroken at the thought of being far away from Charlie, or as she loved to call him, "Papa," so the family chose to relocate to a place moderately close to Forks, and decided on Bellingham, which was just a few hours' drive from Forks.

Quicker than expected, they arrived at their new home, and soon began moving things inside.

Bella had been on edge the entire trip, for moving away from what she considered to be her real home for the first time as well as Renesmee's sadness for the same reason really upset and agitated her.

The day seemed to pass by quickly, and there was still a great deal left to do. Since Renesmee was half-human, she started getting hungry, and went into the large open-style kitchen to see Esme putting plates in the white oak cabinets. She asked, "Grandma make dinner for you, sweetie. Why don't you fix yourself a snack until then, okay?"

Bella was upstairs in her and Edward's new bedroom making sure everything was put in the right place, and also so Alice couldn't stock her closet as she so much liked to do, when she heard Esme's reply to her child's request. She knew Esme meant no harm to Renesmee, but those words brought back a painful memory….

"_Mama, I'm hungry," a seven-year-old Bella said to Renee as she walked into her mother's bedroom. _

_Her mother replied, "I'm reading this new book on Feng Shui, Bella. You're old enough to make yourself something to eat." _

_Little Bella's lip quivered and her eyes watered, but Renee did not even look up from her 'newest fad' as she made her reply to her daughter's request for nourishment. _

_Her shoulders slumped and she walked out of her mother's room, realizing that she was not important enough in her mother's eyes to warrant a disturbance from what she was doing. _

_She made an oath to herself from that day on to help her mother with the cooking, cleaning, and anything else she could think of so her mother would value her more…._

As Bella came out of her memory, a white-hot blinding rage burned through her, hotter even that that of the transformation, and she flew downstairs and stood between her mother-in-law and the most precious thing on this earth, her baby girl.

Esme was startled by her expression and froze where she stood, her mind racing as to what could have happened, _"What's going on? Why is she so angry? Has something happened?"_

Teeth clenched together, Bella said in a strained voice so low Renesmee couldn't hear, "Jacob, please come and take Renesmee out of the house."

Jacob walked rapidly into the kitchen with a wary and concerned expression on his face and bent down to his imprint's level and said, "Hey Nessie, how about we go get something to eat so everyone can continue working?"

The little girl's face lit up and she exclaimed, "Yay! Can we go to the Happy Meal place?" Jacob quickly glanced up at Bella, who gave a curt nod.

He told Renesmee, "Of course, but let's hurry. There may be enough time to get ice cream, too," and with that they were gone.

Esme was still looking at Bella with a fearful and puzzled expression, and the rest of the family was equally as clueless.

Carlisle was at the nearby hospital getting all his employment affairs in order and Edward was getting the utilities turned on, so neither were there to help diffuse the situation.

Bella, having held onto her anger with a tight grip all this time, now that her baby was out of earshot, let it loose and rushed up to Esme and glared at her with enough malice in her eyes to make Caius quake in his boots.

She let looks a vicious snarl and hissed at Esme, "How dare you! She is just a child! She will NEVER have to make her own meals until she is a grown woman! I WON'T stand for it! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" By the end of her tirade Bella's hissing had turn into a roar.

Esme was now frightened of Bella's aggressive stance and tone, and shook her head repeatedly while she whimpered, "What?...Bella, I…I didn't mean…"

Bella growled, and then Emmett slowly walked into the kitchen, and said, "Bella, chill out! Esme just asked her to make herself a snack while we finish everything. She's old enough to do that, anyway…."

Bella didn't hear the rest of his statement. Those words, the same words her mother spoke to her that awful day, made Bella lose it completely and came at Emmett full force and threw them both through the wall into the living room.

Bella got up and punched him in the face, and stomach, over and over until Edward came flying through the door and wrapped his arms around his beloved wife.

She fought his hold on her, struggling to get free, but the longer he held onto her, the weaker her will became, and soon her anger melted away and despair took its place.

She sank to the floor, and Edward went with her, and he held her tightly in his embrace while she dry-sobbed.

Not the tears of a woman who lost her temper, but of a woman whose inner-child never grieved for the loss of her mother's love.

After a few moments she turned around and climbed into Edward's lap, wrapping her arms around him and putting her face in his neck, trying to inhale his calm scent.

At this point, everyone had gathered in the room, and Carlisle had returned home and was holding his wife in his arms, who was also sobbing for the obvious pain her daughter-in-law was in and for somehow being the cause of it.

Edward whispered, "Jasper…" and his brother knew instantly what he needed and threw out a bucket of calm over the room.

Bella, having finally calmed down enough to speak, brought her head out of her husband's neck and looked at Jasper with haunted eyes, "Thank you, Jasper."

He looked at her with a saddened expression, "Of course, sister. I don't know what happened, but it breaks my heart to feel your pain."

Alice wrapped her arms around her husband's waist, she too looking on her family with tear-filled eyes.

Looking at Emmett, a sob escaped Bella's throat as she said in a choked voice, "Brother bear, I'm so sorry! I never meant to hurt you!"

Emmett had moved to sit by his wife, who was glaring at Bella with fury for daring to lay a hand on her mate. He looked sadly at his baby sister and said, "You didn't hurt me sis. But I don't understand why you lost it like that."

Esme then lifted her head from Carlisle's chest and said in a soft voice, "Yes Bella, what happened? What did I do that angered you so?"

Bella's head shot up to meet Esme's eyes, and she covered her mouth as tears again filled her eyes, "Oh Esme! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I know you love Renesmee and would never…"

"Never what Bella? What happened, Love?" she turned toward her husband's voice and explained what happened until he came back.

His own eyes filled by the time his wife finished speaking. Then his eyes hardened and he growled, "Damn Renee to the deepest pits of hell!"

Everyone, knowing a part of what Bella's childhood was like in addition to how she reacted to Renee choosing her new husband over her Bella's graduation, now had a knowing expression on his or her faces.

Clearing the lump in her throat, she shakily said, "I always knew my mother loved me on some level, but I also knew that she was different from other mothers.

When I was 7, I asked her to make me something to eat, but she was too busy reading her latest book to bother.

I decided from then on to do everything I could to make her love and value me. It worked, for a while, until the next thing would come along."

She looked up at Esme and said, "That's why I got so livid, for a minute I was that little girl again, and the thought of Renesmee feeling that way made me fly into a rage. I'm so sorry, I know you are NOTHING like Renee, Esme!"

Esme's heart broke at she looked at her youngest child, her eyes pleading with Esme to understand and to not hate her, "I know, sweetheart. And I love that little girl more than anything, you know that. I understand, I really truly do."

Bella smiled a small smile at her before looking at her big brother, "Em, I'm so sorry. Once the words "she's old enough" came out of your mouth I blacked out – those were the very words my mother used that day, and I lost it. I just wanted someone to hurt as much as I did that day" she said, letting a small sob escape her.

At this point, everyone was teary-eyed, even Rosalie, who knew well of the effects that the lack of a mother's love can cause.

Emmett looked at her with sorrowful eyes and said in a low voice, "It's okay, Belly. I understand – I'm so very sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it that way, you know I love my niece more than life itself and would protect her from any harm!"

She nodded shakily, "I do, brother bear. I do."

Edward then spoke, after having been holding and rocking his broken wife in his arms this whole time, "Love, Esme wants to hold you, is that okay?"

Bella nodded rapidly, and Esme flew at Bella at Bella while Edward drew back, letting his mother and wife embrace each other. Seeing his wife hold onto Esme like a child broke his undead heart into pieces, but knew it was what she needed.

Bella let out a keening cry while she held onto Esme, "I'm sorry Mom! I love you so much! I didn't mean it!"

Esme spoke in soothing tones while she rocked them both back and forth,"Ssssh, hush now, baby girl. It's alright, sweetie. Mama's here now. I love you, so very much. Do you know that? There's nothing you could do to ever make me not love you."

After a while, Bella looked up at Esme and smiled, "Thank you Esme. I really needed that."

Esme smiled warmly and replied, "I know sweetie, you just needed to let the pain out."

Bella looked to Edward, and their eyes locked unconditional love shining in both their eyes.

Soon they could hear Jacob's car coming up the road, and quickly got into normal positions, so as not to let the center of their world know anything was amiss.

Jacob came in first, of course, to ensure his imprint's safety. Then the happy little girl came bouncing in and jumped on her mother's lap, saying, "Look Mommy! I got another minion for my collection! I love the Happy Meal place!"

Bella smiled down at her precious daughter, knowing Renesmee was nothing like her mother, and she would never have the low self-esteem and worthlessness she dealt with most of her life.

She mentally swore that she would do anything to ensure that, no matter the cost, and knew each member of her family would do the same, especially Edward and Jacob.

She looked at Edward, her beloved husband, and knew that she, and their daughter, would always be loved, and that was all that mattered.


End file.
